Why Celtic need Rangers

It’s not the most uncommon occurrence for a city to produce two or more teams of stature, look at Liverpool city with Liverpool FC and Everton FC or Madrid with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. London hosts several well known teams in Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham and there are even more from the big capital. Glasgow city however boasts the two all time greatest Scottish teams in Celtic and Rangers. Two teams that have forever been at odds on so many levels. Sharing a city always produces rivalries so it’s the neutral football fan who really reaps all the rewards come derby day when the drama is ever flowing.

We could go on all day about what makes the Old Firm rivalry special, it’s far beyond the mere support of two different teams. Religion, family, area code, personal creed and so much more is drummed up when these two Glasgow giants clash down on the turf side of Celtic Park or the Ibrox Stadium. Much like the legendary brothers Romulus and Remus, both teams are fighting over who takes the city. Both sides have had a stranglehold over Scottish football for the past century, however, since a first division was created in 1893, Celtic have been crowned champions 46 times and Rangers 54 times. Both sides have enjoyed their times atop of Scottish football with both taking 9 year league winning streaks at some point. Rangers have won the double more than Celtic but Celtic are the only Scottish side to take a quintuple when they won all three domestic trophies alongside the Glasgow Cup and European cup in 1967.

So when the news broke back in October 2012 that The Rangers Football Club PLC was to go into administration the footballing world was in shock. A team of such prestige in its own country had amounted substantial debts and was to be liquidated. This raised many questions for the average fan such as “are they gone for good?”, “can they continue on in the Scottish premier league?” and the one question that was repeated constantly “will there be no more Old Firm derbies?” One thing was for certain, that within all the confusion most Celtic fans were delighted. Banners and signs were held aloft at all their matches following the news, pictures of headstones and grim reapers showed how much they wished to stab the knife into their rival fans hearts. Charles Green took over Rangers and applied to play in the Scottish Premier League, the other teams even had to be put to vote on whether to allow it. In the end they decided to say no but luckily for Rangers they were successful in applying for the Scottish Football Association and could indeed play on. With a slight change in name to The Rangers Football Club Ltd they looked to rebuild. However having won the Scottish Premier League for the third time in a row just two season prior Rangers now found themselves at the bottom of the heap having to play in Third Division (fourth overall division).

As we speak, Rangers, some 3 years later, find themselves just one more promotion away from gaining access back into the Scottish Premier League. If they do indeed get promoted it will be a great story of triumph over adversity for the club. However in their absence we have seen a knock on effect in the league. It seems in their absence most of the smaller Scottish premier league teams have had space to develop and enjoy more success now that one of the big two where no longer there to trash them. Celtic have won the league every year since Rangers dismissal but other teams such as Aberdeen and St. Mirren have gone on to win the Scottish league cup. So you could say for the smaller teams that a league minus Rangers is a good thing but what about the only other big team? With the recent form of Celtic dropping again you have to ask is the lack of series competition hurting the green and white side of Glasgow?

Since Rangers left we have seen both a rise and a fall in Celtic FC. Outside of their own fans not much is expected of Celtic from those who follow the English sides or clubs from foreign countries. With all due respect to the other teams in their league, with Rangers gone there is nobody left for Celtic to worry about. So as expected Celtic have won the league every year since 2012 (having beaten Rangers to the honours in 11/12) but not many expected them to have the success they found back in 2012. Here they famously beat Barcelona with a mere 16% possession and got out of the group stages of the Champions league. It was almost as if the club were trying to prove that with Rangers gone they were stronger than ever and afraid of no one. Like Celtic FC or not this was a fairy tale of a story as then manager Neil Lennon, shocked the world by taking the team he once played for into the land of football heaven. They didn’t progress any further in the league but they made everyone take notice of them again. They went on to take a domestic double that year and players such as Gary Hooper who netted 31 goals in total, Victor Wanyama and Georgios Samaras all took several laps of honour by the time the season had ended.

It all seems so distant now however. Lennon has left for Bolton and been replaced by Ronny Deila. Hooper is at Sheffield Wednesday, Wanayama is at Southampton and Samaras who made a sack of his move to West Brom is plying his trade in Saudi Arabia. Celtic will win the league again this year, no doubt about it as there really are no other team capable of dethroning them. The real question is that if Rangers are back next season, which looks highly likely, then can Celtic keep on top of Scottish football or will Rangers take over again? After the amazing year of 2012 things have gone downhill rapidly for Celtic. They failed to qualify for Champions League last season and bowed out of the Europa League in the round of 32. On top of this they lost 3-2 in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup to Inverness CT, a team who had never even reached the Scottish Cup final until after that win. This year things have got even worse for Deila as more players have left, Celtic being a small club who can’t hold onto good players for long before big clubs swoop in for them. This year they again failed to qualify for the Champions league losing 4-3 on aggregate to Malmo. They also came last in their group in the Europa league after taking only 2 points in total. In recent news there has been a clear falling out with their best striker Anthony Stokes who took to Twitter to vent his frustrations on being left on the bench.

This all puts a lot of pressure on Celtic and indeed on their manager Ronny Deila. You have to wonder if after their great season of 2012 have Celtic fallen victim to their own success? They have no real competition in the league since Rangers left. They had it in 2011 so maybe that was a key part of their Champions League success, they were used to tough opposition. Now they have no other team to cut their teeth on and have losses to teams such as Malmo and Molde who are far from Barcelona or even Spartak Moscow who Celtic beat back in 2012. This leads most fans to the same conclusion, Celtic need Rangers and Scottish football needs the Old Firm derby. Whether we get to see things go back to usual depends on Rangers gaining promotion back into the Scottish Premier League this year. I’m sure there are many Celtic fans who sang and danced when Rangers were relegated finding themselves praying for their nemesis to return. Can Rangers do it? If so can Celtic cope? Well just have to wait for now and hope we get the Old Firm derby back on our television screens sooner rather than later.

When footballers hit the headlines, it’s usually a case of …Read More »

Albert Camus

Rangers are dead.

There will be no more Old Firm Derbies. The tribute act playing out of the Crumble Dome are a new entity as many have confirmed.

If Sevco are the same club as the now deceased Rangers FC 1872 -2012, tell me why the SPL refused to pay them the money they were entitled to for coming 2nd to the most successful club in Scotland in 2012.

“A triumph over adversity” they have the 2nd largest wage bill in Scotland (that word 2nd again) they couldn’t even win the Petrofac Cup at three attempts, playing against plumbers and welders.

Got hammered by Motherwell in the playoff’s, when they couldn’t even win the Championship last season. Hibs will beat them to the punch again this year. And they’ll get another horsing from the team in the Playoff. St Johnstone hammered them early in the season.

They’re broke, run by a glib and shameless liar to quote a South African judge, the stadium is crumbling around them and don’t have the money to maintain it. They decided to wind Mike Ashley up, and he’ll see to it that he cleans them out in litigation until they go down the pan again.

They are a joke.

And so is this article.

Terry Gillchrist

Unsurprising to see responses like this. Scottish club fitba is on its arse and losing Rangers was a big blow. Yeah they are badly run and almost universally hated, but the point of the article still stands. People let hate and bias blur the real issues somewhat.

henkesdreadlocks

It’s called karma little bearsie, you reap what you sow.
Cheats FC wont be missed.

Allan Kierszten

SMELLTIC FC
ALWAYS CHEATED
NEVER DEFEATED
BIG JOCK KNEW

Albert Camus

I’m merely stating the truth. Seems some on here are adverse to it.

A team with the second highest wage bill in Scotland should have cantered through the leagues and won at least a few cup competitions.

Yet here we have this Tribute Act struggling to beat a bunch of part timers.

Don’t make me laugh, had the shoe been on the other foot, had Celtic screwed the taxpayer for 70 million, the press have demanded blood and all hell would have broken loose.

But Celtic FC pay their bills, and this was never going to occur.

Attendances are up since Rangers died in the Premier League. No word of armageddon, only if your a Sevco fan. Who at the present is living week to week.

The Premier League don’t need a basket case like this.

We are doing just fine.

Allan Kierszten

you are a blethering fool of a dim
we never cheated
watch us win the appeal,,just watch
anyway talk of cheating
pacific shelf and the council can tell a few tales

Everybody knows that Rangers 1872 -2012 died and to eloquently quote a member of the Bar:

“The team are paid by Sevco, play at a ground owned by Sevco trained by a manager who is employed by Sevco, fans buy tickets from Sevco”

William Pink

A point of order: When did Charles Green buy Rangers Football Club PLC. He did not because he could not. More guff from the uneducated reporters.

Peter Forristal

Did he not buy them in 2012 for 5.5m after the club went into administration, taking them over under a new company structure?

henkesdreadlocks

In his lawyers words ‘Charles Green did not buy Rangers FC, he bought a ‘basket of assets’ from the liquidators to form a coy called Sevco. He then went on to state that the the ground is owned by Sevco, the players are paid by Sevco, the manager is paid by Sevco and the fans buy tickets from Sevco.
Same club………. my arse.

Peter Forristal

That basket of assets was the old Rangers then to all intents and purposes? So to slate the author for saying “Green took over Rangers” maybe a bit harsh?

William Pink

The Rangers Football Club PLC were not in the basket, it was, and is, being liquidated. After liquidation a new club badge will appear on the blue strips of the club now playing out of Ibrox. That will be another court case, to add to the list of court cases. Something to keep the keyboard lawyers happy. Not forgetting the bile throwers and bigots. The saga continues.

Alan Price

No.

The basket of assets as you call it, was all that was left of Rangers FC.

Anyone could have bought those assets, it just so happens Green saw a financial opportunity to con the fans with the ‘same club’ fairy tale.

And he bought a large house in France with the money.

He is now awaiting trial for fraud.

Allan Kierszten

no you idiot sevco was then changed to rangers
yes it is a different company but it is the same club ask FIFA
smelltic did the same when they changed their name (3 times) PACIFIC SHELF for one

henkesdreadlocks

Bwhahahahahaha ma feckin sides!!!!!! zombie , you are a pathetic.. a clueless one at that.
Cheats FC died 2012.
The tribute act 2012 might not even get to the end of the season.

henkesdreadlocks

FIFA don’t recognise the new club as Rangers you silly silly billy.

Alan Price

You are remarkably ignorant of the chain of events that led to the liquidation of Rangers FC.

But I suppose the truth is too much to bear…

Alan Price

Not quite!

He bought the assets after the club failed in it’s efforts to agree a CVA with it’s creditors and entered liquidation.

Green decided to start a new club and try to fool the gullible into believing it was a continuation of Rangers.

He knew the demented fans wouldn’t cough up their cash if they thought it was a new club, and so the fairy tale was born, and the currant buns lined up to enrich Chazza.

And Chazza bought a Chateaux in France with his ill gotten gains.

Charles Green is now awaiting trial for fraud in his time at Rangers, but the gullible still insist Chazza’s tall story.

Anne Glynn Fersevees

Celtic are doing ok without the old extinct Rangers.

They died, and can never return.

The club currently playing at Ibrox are a tribute act zombie outfit with zero history.

The Scottish fitba Armageddon has refused to happen, only Rangers succumbed to this mythical apocalypse.

Craig Whyte is a legend.

Allan Kierszten

you are zombie
RANGERS are alive and well go over to ibrox and ask 50,000 of us
by the way if you give me your address I will send you a can of lynx for xmas or I can send it to the piggery care off PACIFIC SHELF

henkesdreadlocks

Surely you mean the Crumbledome. Where will the tribute act be playing out of next season……. if you last that long?

Alan Price

Piggery?

Sevco park is falling down a bit at a time…

Allan Kierszten

when are the dims going to give it a rest we are RANGERS end off like it or lump it you can call us what yous want but at the end of the day WE ARE RANGERS
sticks and stones,PACIFIC SHELF
etc

Meck Deddick

It is lovely to hear the hurt of so many fans of the extinct club. Your clubs deid get over it. Ye were chucked

jamesy609

got to laugh at these smellly people, they have a team who couldnt get to a champions league, a team that is bottom of a very poor europa league, 2 points out of 15, a team who cant fill their stadium,a club who sent letters to their own fans over their hygene. what an embarrassment and it really is true, ITS ALL ABOUT THE RANGERS. the world of football say its the same club, and we have kept out titles, so whos dead? pacific shelf have changed their names so are ceptic a new club???

henkesdreadlocks

Another thick bun. Is it any wonder fans of all the other clubs are in absolute stitches over you lot.
Oh, and if you think you’ll keep your titles you are very much mistaken.
Cheats FC. Dead and buried.

Denis Grant

Meck I’m very much alive just like The Famous Glasgow Rangers. In fact it is Village Idiots like you and your lot make me feel soooooo Gooooood. Ya gipe

Big Mhick owns your asses

Died 2012 after cheating on an industrial scale, trying to keep up with Celtic, Scotland’s most successful football club.
Is it cold in our shadow little bearsies?

Board67com

Celtic, like every other club in existence, prosper through competition. Contrary to the desperate need displayed by the Scottish media and footballing authorities this competition does not *have* to be a ‘strong Rangers’ however given their fanbase it is reasonable to assume they are prime candidates for second best in the country. The only worry is that we now know that old Rangers were able to keep on level terms with Celtic through cheating on a massive scale. Now given the slightly optimistic assumption that the new club would not be allowed to repeat this, there isn’t much to suggest they can mount the sort of challenge that would benefit Celtic. The current Celtic squad has been decimated by the board as a result of not needing to improve, while Rangers have a manager and owner their fans fawn over – and yet as things stand the current Rangers would pose absolutely no challenge.

Perhaps it would be best for Scottish football if Rangers were allowed to cheat again.

Alan Price

Allow them to cheat again?

A novel idea, but I think not…

Alan Price

Existing as they (Sevco) are on month by month payday loans, which as time goes by, are becoming more difficult to obtain, it is questionable whether they can avoid another financial disaster.

They owe Sports Direct £5mill which they first of all refused to pay, then did a u-turn and said they would, but so far haven’t.

Their stadium is in a state of disrepair but have no funds to rectify the situation

If Sevco do survive they will have to do so on a limited budget, but in some sort of fantasy, still believe they can reach the Champion’s League within 3 to 4 years.

At least that’s what they claim.

This once big club died throughout liquidation.

An inferior Tribute Act has taken their place, and sooner or later their fans will have to recognise that fact.

debra fergus

The SPFL,SFA,UEFA,ASA,Lord Nimmo Smith,ECA,Wee Red Book etc etc disagree with you. And you will forgive me if i take their word over your’s? As for our iconic stadium,work is already well underway,and has been for some time..i thought being a Celtic fan you’d know that seeing as you know more about Rangers than most Gers fans 🙂
ps. Sevco,that word your so obsessed with,changed eons ago…the holding company of the club is actually the rangers football club ltd,a subsidiary of the rangers international football club..which in turn operates Rangers Football Club..the same club.
HMS 402..Pacific Shelf…The Celtic Football and Athletic Co ltd…Celtic plc…etc etc…ring any bells?
The Rangers Football Club Scotland’s most successful club…as confirmed by the SPFL,SFA,UEFA,ASA,ECA etc etc.

Big Mhick owns your asses

You silly deluded zombie turd, are you bonkers, or do you simply not understand what has been going on in Scottish football for the last 20 years. Your club died in 2012 and the tribute act that currently play out of £land are following the same path to extinction.

Steve

Another page full of drivel from the bheasts.

Of all the arguments and so called financial expert opinion that comes, you simply have to ask UEFA, FIFA, the SFA, the SPFL etc if it’s the same club.

Celtic fans are well known for repeating stories that aren’t true to suit their own agenda. They actually repeat them so much that the poor souls confuse their simple minds and they actually start to believe them.

Big Mhick owns your asses

Bwahahahahaha!!! the gullibillys just keep on giving…………love your pain zombie.

Steve

What an insightful response you intellectual powerhouse.

debra fergus

Decent article and of course the writer is correct,the club’s holding company changed to the Rangers football club ltd,which has happened at plenty club’s,Middlesbrough,Leeds,Coventry,Hearts etc..indeed the obsessed “fans” of Scotland’s second most successful club Pacific Shelf,sorry Celtic,should be aware they are a newco several times over.

Here in planet reality one only has to log onto the official Scottish Professional Football League website and look up Rangers to see the club listed as founded in 1872 together with a world record trophy haul of 118. UEFA have also updated their website to confirm their position,and they did so again when they told the Advertising Standards Authority Rangers were the same club,as did the SFA,which led to the ASA finding in Rangers favour after ridiculous complaints from people similar to those below..”are a new entity as many have confirmed”…the many being online celtic fans bloggers and other non entities,who don’t actually count. Here is a list of those who count,and who all say Rangers are Scotland’s most successful club.
SPFL
SFA
ASA (twice)
UEFA,
ECA,
Lord Nimmo Smith
Lord Glennie
Wee Red Book (who take their info from the SFA) etc etc.
On one point however i would agree with people such as the one below. I truly wish there were no Old Firm derbies,and that we never had to play Celtic again. With the behaviour of their fans at remembrance day’s,their vile “songs” glorifying terrorism,not to mention an almost psychotic obsession with Scotland’s most successful club Rangers,it would make my day if we never had to play them again.
The Rangers Football Club…Scotland’s most successful club. (And we also pay our staff a decent wage hint hint).

Big Mhick owns your asses

Dead.

debra fergus

The sheer hatred shown towards Scotland’s most successful club,as shown below,is actually unnerving. And Celtic “fans” going on about Rangers cheating…well….i think they need to take stock of that one..and learn some humility,considering the amount of ex Celtic players and managers who used tax avoidance schemes. As for title stripping,,it simply won’t happen,Rangers were already fined and there is no mechanism in place to “strip titles”…the obsessed really need to learn the facts. Lord Nimmo Smith also stated no sporting advantage was gained by the club,and indeed now that it’s being appealed there is a very good chance Rangers will win this case,remember right now it’s 2-1 in Rangers favour,and all those bleating about cheating will need to eat humble pie. Try getting your own house in order bhoys..for example paying your staff a decent wage,or staying quiet on Remembrance Day,it’s not hard you know. Your attempt to rewrite history has failed and indeed has made you a laughing stock,instead of obsessing about Scotland’s most successful club Rangers why not address the reason your team plays to half empty stadiums,or why once again you were humiliated in Europe..you can’t rely on getting through in Europe by default forever you know,Molde never fielded an illegible player. We know the reason for the obsession…Rangers FC are Scotland’s most successful club,your in our shadow,we get that…but here is a novel idea. Why not try and overtake us via the pitch? Because you have failed trying to overtake us by default. This is not Europe you know 🙂
The Rangers Football Club…Scotland’s most successful club.

Big Mhick owns your asses

Fat turd.

debra fergus

The Scottish Proffesional Football League Chief Executive Neil Doncaster:

“In terms of the question about old club, new club, that was settled very
much by the Lord Nimmo Smith commission that was put together by the SPL to look at EBT payments at that time.

“The decision, very clearly from the commission, was that the club is the
same, the club continues, albeit it is owned by a new company, but the club is the same.”

So the official take from the SPFL is that Rangers Football Club
continues, it’s the same club?

“Yes, it’s the same club, absolutely.”

People have extreme views on this, so what’s the difference between a
club and a company?

“The member club is the entity that participates in our league and we have 42 member clubs.

“Those clubs may be owned by a company, sometimes it’s a Private Limited Company, sometimes it’s a PLC, but ultimately, the company is a legal entity in its own right, which owns a member club that participates in the league.”

So, once and for all, the league is putting this to bed, it’s the
same club?

“It was put to bed by the Lord Nimmo Smith commission some while ago – it’s the same club.”

henkesdreadlocks

Rangers or as all fans in Scotland now call them Cheats FC, never were champions of Europe, so they couldn’t have been Scotland’s most successful club, they cheated and died trying.

Mark Falconer

A lot of hurty ‘tic trolls on here sharing their pain, obsession & fear of Scotland’s most successful club.